In a renegade Mormon community of the American southwest, brave Eliza attempts to escape her life as one of five “sister wives” in a polygamous marriage and save her daughter from the same fate. The women’s children have been removed by state authorities and their husband, known as the Prophet, has retreated to the desert, seeking divine guidance. In desperation, the women subject themselves to the glare of the media. While the world watches on television, Eliza bares her heart, unleashes her condemnation of the community's patriarchy, and pleads with her sister wives to break free.

Composer Nico Muhly is one of the hottest young composers in North America. He has written choral works, large and small orchestral pieces, and three film scores, includingJoshua and the Oscar-nominated The Reader. After the success of Dark Sisters in New York and Philadelphia in 2011 and 2012, his opera Two Boys had its Metropolitan Opera début. His Dark Sisters score is lyrical, evocative and spare, highlighting the women’s voices and revealing their fervency and suffering.